By Margaret Enloe, JD, PCC. A cartoon shows a sleepy man holding his face mask while opening his apartment door. There, a large sign faces him and reads “RECALIBRATION, Scene 2, Take 146.”
We chuckle because it resonates — every day, and especially during the pandemic, we are faced with life’s challenges. There are highs and lows, surprises and complexities — constantly.
Some things naturally evolve over time and get better — like a bottle of red wine or confidence in driving a car. But, it normally takes focus, effort and dedication to make a real or lasting change, even if the change is important and has obvious benefits. Why? Because the will to change gets battered and bruised by things large and small and the status quo begins to feel ok. In reality, though, the status quo is usually not ok, rarely is good, and never is great.
I had a long career as a litigator helping clients get out of difficult problems. Often, millions of dollars were at stake and a team of dedicated attorneys and auditors worked for months to analyze the underlying facts, develop explanations, and make the arguments which would make the difference between winning or losing.
In life, just as in a thriving business, we face hurdles and obstacles. They might not involve lawsuits but they include challenges to improve how we work, think, communicate and collaborate. We may want to support our team better, set clearer priorities, develop rapport with colleagues, communicate with confidence, or create more time to think about big picture items. It often feels like Scene 2, Take 146, because we have been here before; we forge ahead on our own, often without success, and the status quo takes over.
I coach executives and other professionals because I know how valuable coaching can be when dealing with issues that require focus, dedication and sustained motivation. We’re not talking here about skipping a dessert or glass of wine. We’re talking about setting important and reasonable goals, figuring out what action we can take, asking for support, being held accountable for moving forward and staying motivated. Coaching is one way I can be the “team” behind an executive who wants to make a change long before Scene 2, Take 146!
For more about dealing with change, and the benefits of executive coaching, schedule a consultation with Margaret.